Chapter 247: According to Qin Law, beheading
By the pond, Lu Buwei, who had risen from a humble businessman to become the prime minister of a country, an unprecedented feat, smiled faintly and picked up the fishing rod that had fallen to the ground.
"Your Majesty scared away all my fish."
The old prime minister looked as if you are disturbing me, and he was not surprised by anything. He threw the silver needle into the lake again. The silver needle created a circle of ripples on the clear water surface and quickly pierced into the bottom of the lake.
The fat carp that had been carefully raised in the lake swam past the silver needle with a flick of its fat tail.
They were very familiar with the needle and knew there were no earthworms or millet flour on it, so they were too lazy to swim closer to take a look.
"Uncle Lu, if you have anything to discuss, please talk to me and don't act on your own, okay? How can I handle this in front of my brother?"
Seeing that Lü Buwei was calm and acted as if nothing had happened, Ying Chengjiao gave up his tone of accusing him and started to play the victim.
He grabbed Lü Buwei's arm holding the fishing rod with both hands, and pulled the black cloak given to him by his father, which was embroidered with the Chinese character "Shang" on a black background with gold edges.
"What we want is equality for all, regardless of status, and everyone should have a path to promotion. This requires the support of my brother. Uncle Lu, what will my brother think of what you have done in Han? Should we continue to reform..."
Ying Chengjiao persuaded him with emotion and reason, and then said that Lu Buwei had founded the Eclectic School to deny Shang Yang's methods. Now such actions are not much different from the tyranny of the Legalists, which is tantamount to destroying the Great Wall.
After this verbal attack, apart from the silver needle floating on the water surface trembling back and forth and causing ripples, Lu Buwei himself did not make any response.
These words are like the breeze over the lake in autumn, which brings nothing but ripples to the water.
Ying Chengjiao snatched the fishing rod from Lu Buwei's hand and held it in his hand without giving it to Lu Buwei, telling Lu Buwei not to play the trick of letting the willing take the bait again.
Lü Buwei then said helplessly: "It is not right for people to show kindness without expecting anything in return, and to do things without leaving a name behind. Even Wang Jian knows that he needs money, women, fiefdoms, and titles to go out to fight in order to appease Your Majesty. How come you don't even understand this principle?"
Ying Chengjiao turned his head and looked at Lu Buwei with disdain, saying, "Keep pretending. Why didn't you want women and money when my father was alive? I don't understand, Uncle Lu, you can let my father be lazy, but you can't let me be lazy."
"Your father is the king."
Lu Buwei pulled the fishing rod in Ying Chengjiao's hand, but it didn't move. He clapped his hands in embarrassment.
"You can choose not to take care of things, but you can't not do anything. If you had followed my example and ascended the throne, reforming the law wouldn't have been so difficult."
"I don't want to explain to you. I have already sent someone to Korea to change the name of the school. You always act on your own. I really can't keep you here. You should go to the Prime Minister's Mansion as soon as possible."
When Lü Buwei heard the three words "Xiangbangfu", he looked dazed. That was the place where he formulated "Lüshi Chunqiu", governed the country with various doctrines, and handled important political affairs of Qin State.
He helped King Zhuangxiang of Qin to become king. After King Zhuangxiang of Qin ascended the throne, the first thing he did was to promote him, a businessman, to the position of prime minister.
His position as prime minister was not easy to come by. It was King Zhuangxiang of Qin who was willing to go against the Ying royal family and the Queen Dowager Huayang and overcome all objections to obtain it.
He still remembered the day when Empress Dowager Huayang pointed at his nose and scolded him in the court: "Merchants are lowly people. It is a great honor for you to be able to live in the court of Qin. How dare you steal the position of prime minister?"
Weiyang Lord Ying Xi, the elder brother of Qin Zhuangxiang King Ying Zichu, brought out the law of Shang Yang, saying: "Shang Yang does not engage in farming or fighting, but can enjoy silk clothing, venison and fine wine. If the country falls into the hands of Lü Buwei, the people of Qin will abandon their people and join Shang Yang, and the Qin will perish."
Although those noble families had been won over by Eli long ago, they did not take advantage of his misfortune to speak ill of him at this time.
However, the Ying clan of Qin and the Chu clan did not agree. Considering politics and power, King Zhuangxiang of Qin should give in.
In his heart, Lu Buwei had already given up the position of prime minister and only wanted to be one of the Nine Ministers so that his years of following King Zhuangxiang of Qin would not be in vain.
However, at the right time, King Zhuangxiang of Qin, who had always been careless and never took anything to heart, had no airs of a king and liked to get along well with his subjects and treat them as brothers, became furious.
He jumped up from the throne and landed on the agarwood table embroidered with a black bird in front of him. He drew the Qin King's sword from his waist and threw away the scabbard, pointing the sword at the Chu clan and the royal family who said that Lu Buwei was not capable.
He said, "I am the king, and you are not. You may obey me, but if you do not obey me, you will be beheaded!"
When King Zhuangxiang of Qin, who had always been good-tempered, did this, everyone was not afraid or frightened for a moment, but was caught off guard.
No one thought that King Zhuangxiang of Qin's sword could really cut it down, even though the king's face was full of murderous intent.
The Queen Mother Huayang had a confidant named Mi Ju, who was quick-witted and thorough, and won the Queen Mother Huayang's heart. During the reign of King Xiaowen of Qin, he was one of the Nine Ministers and a strong contender for the position of Prime Minister.
When everyone was still in a daze, he reacted first and took a step forward.
As soon as he opened his mouth, he uttered the three words "I object".
Ying Zichu jumped down from the wooden table, holding the Qin King's sword and stabbed Mi Ju in the chest and abdomen.
Mi Ju looked into Ying Zichu's fierce eyes in disbelief, and everyone present was stunned.
That’s not all.
Ying Zichu kept asking back, "Do you object?" as he drew his sword, stabbed it, drew his sword, and stabbed it.
This went on for dozens of times until Mi Ju fell to the ground and his blood splattered all over the nearby Qin officials, with Ying Zichu himself being the one stained with the most blood.
Ying Zichu bathed in Mi Ju's blood, lifted up the expensive crown he was wearing to wipe the blood off the Qin King's sword, and then wiped his face with the blood-stained crown.
He laughed loudly and said, "I am a little impatient, a little impatient. Do any of you still object?"
The Queen Mother Huayang had a sullen face and remained silent. Lord Weiyang Ying Xi looked at his half-brother Ying Zichu as if he was meeting him for the first time.
Lu Buwei was completely confused. Before he could figure out the situation, several bloody handprints appeared on his shoulders.
Ying Zichu patted Lü Buwei on the shoulder and laughed, "Buwei, you will be the prime minister in the future, so you need to be more diligent."
Seeing that the clothes on Lü Buwei were stained by the blood on his hands, Ying Zichu rubbed his hands all over Lü Buwei and said, "If the old doesn't go away, the new won't come. I will compensate you with one in a few days."
Lu Buwei was appointed Prime Minister on the same day. He opened a government office the next day to handle government affairs. On the third day, King Zhuangxiang of Qin gifted a black cloak to the Prime Minister's office. On the cloak was a large Chinese character "Shang" with a gold border on a black background.
You say that merchants are lowly, but I still want to give you a merchant's clothing!
"Qiao'er, can I be the prime minister?"
Lu Buwei's expression was one part excitement, and nine parts were because you were just teasing me, you were joking, you were joking.
No matter what, he committed treason at the beginning. Even if he did not intend to kill the First Emperor, it was still an act of insubordination.
He knew how much the First Emperor hated him.
If one were to make a list of the people the First Emperor wanted to kill, Lü Buwei would be in the top three, if not the first. He was too busy hiding from the First Emperor, and being able to survive was a blessing, so how could he ask for more?
Holding the fishing rod in hand and gently swinging the fishing line, the silver needle draws a silver arc in the air and falls into the water, like a sharp sword.
Ying Chengjiao lightly pressed his wrist and lifted it up gently. The tip of the fishing line that was thrown back was not the silver needle flashing with cold light, but a fat carp that was struggling back and forth.
Ying Chengjiao took out the fat carp that had been pierced by the silver needle and placed it in front of Lu Buwei.
"Now that we have the fish, we don't need to fish anymore."
The fat carp was well fed and became plump and strong. It flapped its tail back and forth, splashing water everywhere, many of which landed on the cloak worn by Lü Buwei.
Lu Buwei was stunned, and suddenly felt that this water was very similar to the bloodstain that the former king had slapped on him.
"Uncle Lu, you have to wear a mask and change your name. You have to give face to my brother anyway."
Ying Chengjiao took out the seal of the Prime Minister from his bosom. The seal had rough workmanship on the surface but exquisite details. He handed it to Lu Buwei.
He smiled and said, "Bear with it for a moment."
Lu Buwei held the extremely familiar seal of the Prime Minister in his hands, lowered his head and touched the patterns on it, but he could not touch it enough.
When he came back to his senses and looked up to say something to Ying Chengjiao, he stopped talking after saying the two words "jiao'er".
There was no living creature in front of him except a fat carp that was jumping around and struggling to death. He didn't know when Ying Chengjiao left.
Lü Buwei wore the merchant clothes given to him by King Zhuangxiang of Qin, put the lost and recovered seal of the prime minister in his arms, looked at the lake in front of him that he had been looking at for several years, with tears in his eyes.
In the past, Jiang Taigong went fishing and caught King Wen of Zhou.
He, Lu Buwei, imitated his ancestor Jiang Taigong's actions and used a direct hook to fish. He said that he wanted to be a hidden minister behind Ying Chengjiao, and he really thought so in his heart.
But there is also a trace of unwillingness mixed in, which is also true - the ambition has not been fulfilled.
"My lord, our vision has come true."
Lu Buwei tightened his black cloak and wiped the moisture from his old eyes.
"I don't know how Jiao'er convinced Your Majesty to finish dealing with the affairs in Han first."
Lu Buwei went to find a mask and put it on his face. Unable to wait until the next day, he took the carriage to the Prime Minister's Mansion with the seal of the Prime Minister in his arms.
After an absence of several years, Lu Buwei had no intention of staying in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion. He showed the Prime Minister's seal to the guards and was about to enter.
He was the one who caused the tragedy in Korea.
Although it was necessary to do so in order to let the First Emperor know the value of public opinion and to liberate the minds of the people of Korea.
But Lu Buwei felt deeply guilty.
He led his troops to destroy the Zhou Dynasty, and he felt no guilt for commanding the Qin army to kill people on the battlefield, because that was a battlefield, and the dead were enemy soldiers, and it was either you die or I live.
But those who died in Han were civilians and had no interest in him, Lu Buwei, but they all died because of him, Lu Buwei.
He wanted to send a county magistrate, a county assistant, a county lieutenant, a county governor, a county assistant, and a county lieutenant to Han Di as quickly as possible, so that Han Di could be freed from the sad mood of the wax festival as quickly as possible.
These things could not eliminate the guilt in Lu Buwei's heart, because the dead cannot be resurrected, but they could only reduce the guilt in Lu Buwei's heart.
During this trip, Lu Buwei took off the cloak given by King Zhuangxiang of Qin and came to the Xiangbang Mansion wearing clothes with the seal of Chang'an Junfu.
Although there were many strange looks along the way, the journey was smooth.
The Prime Minister's Office is not an army. It only recognizes tiger talismans and not people.
In theory, the Prime Minister's Seal is only valid when it is held by the Prime Minister. If someone else obtains it by abnormal means, it will be a capital crime punishable by death.
If they had obtained it through normal means, such as a gift from the prime minister, then both of them would have taken it together - wouldn't that be too much of a disrespect for the First Emperor?
But Ying Chengjiao is an exception.
There had already been a precedent at the Imperial Guard's Office. Old man Wang Xi went there every day to report for duty holding the Imperial Guard's seal, just like the new Imperial Guard of Qin.
Such a big thing had been reported to the First Emperor a long time ago, but the First Emperor didn't care at all.
The memorial was like a drop in the ocean, never to be returned, and everyone understood what the First Emperor meant.
So when Lu Buwei came to the Prime Minister's Mansion with the Prime Minister's seal, although it was inappropriate, no one said anything. They just sighed in their hearts that His Majesty treated Chang'an Jun very well.
Lu Buwei came to the back hall of the Prime Minister's Mansion, where there were only the Left Prime Minister Li Si and the Right Prime Minister Wang Wan.
"Who are you?" Li Si saw the seal of the prime minister in Lu Buwei's hand, but still asked in a deep voice with an unfriendly tone.
The reason why Wang Xi was able to gain a foothold in the National Guard's Mansion was that Wang Xi himself was a legend, a veteran general, had a very high reputation, and was able to control the situation.
If Wang Xi wore a mask when he went in, the people in the Imperial Guard's Mansion wouldn't know who Wang Xi was, and no one would sell him the Imperial Guard's seal, and no one would pay any attention to Wang Xi.
This is what Lu Buwei is like at this moment.
He wore a mask and hid his face, and he wanted to seize power from Li Si and Wang Wan by relying on the seal of the prime minister in his hand. That was wishful thinking.
Li Si clearly expressed his ill intentions, but Wang Wan was so calm that he didn't even bother to look up at Lu Buwei.
Since Jiao'er said that I could come here, I believe Your Majesty must already know my identity.
Lu Buwei thought about it for a moment, then turned around and closed the door.
Li Si and Wang Wan said nothing and let Lu Buwei do his job.
Lu Buwei closed the door, put the seal of the prime minister into his arms, and walked in front of Li Si.
He chuckled and said, "You did a good job on the matter of the Court of Justice."
Lu Buwei spoke in an appreciative tone, which made Li Si feel angry.
Part of the reason why he did this was that he wanted to hold the seal of the Prime Minister in Ying Chengjiao's hand and truly become the one second only to him, instead of being suppressed by Wang Wan as he is now.
Now the work was done, but the seal of the Prime Minister was not in his hands. Instead, a masked man who dared not reveal his true identity brought it to him to show off, and praised him for doing a good job.
Li Si knew that the masked man must be from Chang'an Junfu, Ying Chengjiao's man.
However, Li Si was not the kind of person who would humble himself or bow his head to anyone he met.
Standing up, Li Si had a stern face and a stiff tone.
"If a person who is not a prime minister holds the prime minister's seal, he shall be beheaded according to Qin law."
Wang Wan seemed to ignore it, but his mind was always here.
Li Si arrested Gan Luo and put him in prison in Xianyang. Now this matter has caused a huge uproar and everyone feels like they are in danger.
Before the First Emperor's death, memorials impeaching Ying Chengjiao came in like snowflakes in winter, one after another without stopping. The impeachments against Li Si were less than those against Ying Chengjiao, but still limited, just the difference between moderate snow and heavy snow.
At this point in time, someone from Chang'an Junfu came to live in the Prime Minister's Mansion with the Prime Minister's seal. It was hard to say whether this was not a counterattack by Ying Chengjiao.
When the memorial was submitted to the First Emperor, it was sorted out by the Prime Minister's Office.
